The recently released Commission communication on investing in the development of low carbon technologies (Strategic Energy Technology Plan - SET) referred amongst others to the smart cities initiative, put in place to support not only cities but also regions in taking ambitious steps to a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.
The word ‘smart' has become a trendy buzz-word. But what does it really mean? What is a smart region? How can a region become ‘smart'? What makes one region smarter than another one? The Commission communication refers to systemic approaches and organisational innovation, encompassing energy efficiency, low carbon technologies and the smart management of supply and demand, but how can a region develop and measure these actions and how can they be transferred across the EU?
This event will address these issues in an interactive way and will include a panel discussion of regional practitioners, Commission officials and energy experts. It will help regional innovation stakeholders and actors to develop better understanding of the concept of ‘smart region' and interregional relationships, allow the sharing of best practice and benchmarking, and will encourage a wider take up of ‘smart' policies, practices and technologies.
14.30 Welcome by ERRIN Energy and Climate Change Group Ms Xenia Tsitiridou, European Policy Adviser, West Midlands in Europe
Moderator of the day Mr Angelo Consoli - Energy Expert
14.40 Smart Cities
Scotland Region: The Glasgow experience Mr Richard Bellingham, Project Director and Senior Research Fellow at Strathclyde's Fraser of Allander Institute
Andalusia Region: The Malaga experience - The Smartcity Project Dr Antonio Torralba, AICIA
Panel discussion with Mr Georges Kremlis, DG ENVI - Mr Jean-Marie Bemtgen, DG Energy - Mr Pedro Ballesteros Torres, DG Energy
15.20 Smart Regions
Flanders Region: The Local Intelligent Networks for Energy Access Regions (LINEAR) project Ms Eefje Peeters, Smart Systems Manager, VITO (Flemish Institute for Technological Research)
Piedmont Region: An integrated approach for a Smart Region Ms Silvia Rovere, EU Projects Coordinator
Poitou Charentes Region: The regional Solar Energy Plan 2009-2012 Ms Anna Wachowiak-Behar, Environmental Excellence Policy Officer
Panel discussion with Mr Georges Kremlis, DG ENVI - Mr Jean-Marie Bemtgen, DG Energy - Mr Pedro Ballesteros Torres, DG Energy
16.10 Smart Europe
Climate KIC: Central Hungary, Lower Silesia, Hessen, Emilia-Romagna, Valencia, West Midlands Dr Simon Buckle, Climate Policy Director of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change, Imperial College London
IEE ENNEREG Project Ms Katy Hall, Managing Director, CPL Press (Member of the ManagEnergy Support Team 2001-2011 and dissemination of ENNEREG) Mr Nils Daugaard, Partner, ECNet, (Project Leader ENNEREG, ECNet)
Panel discussion with Mr Georges Kremlis, DG ENVI - Mr Jean-Marie Bemtgen, DG Energy - Mr Pedro Ballesteros Torres, DG Energy - Alessandro Fazio, Management Consultant